Easy-to-Grow, Beginner-Friendly Veggies, Flowers and Herbs

Easiest Veggies, Flowers and Herbs for new gardeners

If you’re just starting out, pick plants that forgive mistakes and reward you quickly — that’s how gardening turns into a habit. Below are the most beginner-friendly vegetables, plus a few easy flowers and herbs that pair perfectly in beds or containers.

Vegetables (quick picks)

  • Radishes — Fast and forgiving. Direct-sow in loose soil, keep evenly moist, harvest in 20–30 days.

  • Leaf lettuce / salad greens — Grow in partial sun or containers; cut-and-come-again harvesting gives you weeks of salad.

  • Bush beans — Sow after frost; low maintenance and productive in 50–60 days.

  • Zucchini / summer squash — Big yields with minimal fuss; give space or a big pot.

  • Cherry tomatoes — Start from seedlings, full sun and staking; pick fruit regularly to encourage production.

  • Spinach — Cold-tolerant and quick; sow early spring or late summer.

  • Peas — Plant in cool weather with a small trellis; sweet payoff for little effort.

Easy flowers to add color (and help pollinators)

  • Marigolds — Tough, bloom all summer, and deter some pests. Great in beds and pots.

  • Zinnias — Fast to flower, come in many colors, and are excellent for cutting bouquets.

  • Nasturtiums — Edible flowers and leaves, trail or climb, love poor soil (so they don’t get too leafy).

  • Calendula (pot marigold) — Hardy annual, blooms early and into fall; petals are edible/useful in salves.

  • Dwarf sunflowers — Cheerful and simple — choose compact varieties for containers or small gardens.

Beginner-friendly herbs (kitchen staples)

  • Basil — Annual, loves full sun and warmth; perfect in a sunny container or next to tomatoes.

  • Chives — Perennial, cold-hardy, low maintenance; great in the ground or a small pot.

  • Parsley — Biennial but usually grown as an annual; tolerates part shade and keeps giving.

  • Mint — Super easy but aggressive — always plant in its own pot to contain it.

  • Thyme & oregano — Drought tolerant, low care, and great for Mediterranean cooking; excellent in rock gardens or pots.

Quick container tips

  • Use quality potting mix (not garden soil).

  • Ensure drainage (pots with holes).

  • Water containers more often than beds — check soil daily in heat.

  • Match sun needs: most veg and herbs want 6+ hours; leafy greens handle part shade.

  • For mixed containers: pair sun-loving herbs/flowers (basil, zinnias) with sun-loving veg (tomato, pepper); use shallow boxes for lettuces/microgreens.